Trunk-fastener



I "UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE D. SPIELMAN, or CINCINNATI, OHIO.

TRUNK -FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357.240. dated February 8, 1827.

Application filed September 6, 1886. Serial No. 212.864. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. SPIELMAN,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunk-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement upon the fasteners for which Letters Patent No. 330,435 were granted to me November 17, 1885. Its object is to produce a more efficient and reliable fastener at a reduced cost.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my preferred form of fastener in the locked position. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation, and Fig. 3 a side. elevation, of the same with the latchholding plate shown detached, and as it appears before inserted and straightened to hold the latch. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of a modification, in which the means for holding the latch is aplate which is forced in from the side under projecting lips, Fig. 4 being aside, and Fig. 5 a rear, elevation. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are detail views showing another modification, in which the lower end of the body-plate is molded at a right angle to the upper portion-and afterward straightened to inclose the latclraxis. Fig. 6 is a side view ofthe plate as it is taken from the mold with the latch inserted. Fig. 7 is a side view after the end is bent down to embrace the latch and complete the device, and Fig. 8 is a rear view of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a front, and Fig. 10 a side, elevation of another modification, in which the lugs for fastening the latch are cast at right angles to the latch-plate. One of the lugs is shown injthe position it occupies when drawn from the mold, andthe other is shown bent around the latch-axis. Fig. 11 is a front, and Fig. 12 a side, elevation of my fastener applied with the ordinary hasp-staple, to be secured in place, if desired, by a padlock. In this form it is better to secure the latch-plate to the cover of the trunk.

Throughout the different views like parts are indicated by the same reference-letters.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 10, inclusive, the lower plate, A, which is to be secured to the body of the trunk, consists of a light metal casting having sockets a, to receive pins 1),

which project from the cover-plate B. It has also projecting out from its face two ribs, a, which extend from these sockets, parallel with each other, to near the bearings of latch O and then terminate in inwardinclines or curves a". These curves overhang a portion of the latch 0 when it is closed and hold it in the closed position, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 9. The latch O is preferably made of steel wire and bent into a U-shaped loop. It has its ends 0 turned outwardly at right angles to the body, to-furnish journals by which the latch is pivo'tally secured to the plate A.

In the forms shown in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, the plate A is cast with an opening, a", through it, through which opening the latch G is inserted from the back, the journals a resting in bearings, also cast in the plate. This opening through the plate A enables me to cast it without coring, and at the same time provides a means for inserting the latch in place with but little fitting. By this means also the inner curves or inclines which overhang the latch and insure its snapping in either direction are made. I thus avoid drilling for the latchbearings, as well as coring out in casting. Projecting toward each other, upon opposite sides of this opening in plate A, as shown in Figs.

1 to 5,'inclusive, are lips or lugs a". After the latch G isinserted through the opening in plate A, with its journals 0 in their bearings, a curved sheet-metal plate, (I, is placed back of the journals, as seen in Fig. 3, and then partially straightened until its opposite edges pass under the lugs a, thus securing the latch and plate d to the plate A. In Figs. 4 and 5 the plate A is cast with bearings for the journals 0, and. is provided upon opposite sides of the bearings with lugs to overhang the flat metal plate 01, by which the latch is secured to plate In Fig. 5 the plate (1' is shown partially inserted.

The upper or cover plate, B, has a hook, I), projecting down centrally from it. This hook, when the trunk is closed, extends down between the sockets a and in front pf the plate A. The latch G, engaging over this hook, locks the plates A and B together, as seen in Fig. 1. Projecting from the adjacent sides of the ribs a are stops e. (Shown in Figs. 1, 9, and 10.) The object of these stops is to hold the latch C out from the back of plate A, so that the beveled nose of the hook I) can pass between it and the plate and force the latch out to permit its loop to pass over the hook, which will, after it has passed the hook, spring back. Thus the devices are automatically locked by closing down the trunk-cover. The device is unlocked by catching the top of the loop with the finger and throwing it down flat against the front of the trunk, making nearly a half-revolution, as shown in dotted line, Figs. 1, 3, 9, and 10. As the loop is of spring-steel and its journals have endwise play in their bearings, the inward inclines or curves ct insure its snappinginto either the open or closed position so soon as it is thrown on or past their centers. There is therefore no danger of the latches being broken or injured by being carelessly left projecting out from the body of the trunk.

In the form shown in Figs. 11 and 12, F represents part of the trnnkcover, and G part of the body. The plate A, which is open from the lower end up to thelatch-bearings, is substantially the lower part of plate A. (Shown in the former figures.) The latch 0 extends down to catch over the common hasp-staple H, through which a padlock may be secured to lock the trunk. In this form, when the latch-plate is to be secured to the trunk-top, I prefer to connect the Iatchbearings by a rib, a, so that the latch will only move one-fourth of a circle, as seen in dotted line, Fig. 12. It thus furnishes a handle by which to lift the cover.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The latch-plate, having opening a for the insertion of the latch from the back, and having inward inclines or curves a, to overhang the closed latch, in combination with spring- ]atch 0, having journals 0, and means, such as shown, to hold the latch journaled in the plate.

2. The combination, substantially as specified, of the plate A, having inward inclines or curves a and stops 6, the spring-latch O, pivoted to said plate, and the cover-plate B, having hook b projecting down from it, so as to automatically catch under the spring-catch .when the parts are brought together.

GEORGE D. SPIELMAN. Witnesses:

GEO. J. MURRAY, 0. W. MILES. 

